Police officers and firefighters received strong support from voters in three out of four Macomb County communities that had public safety taxes on the ballot Tuesday, including passage of a significant tax hike in Warren.

Countywide, residents who went to the polls overwhelmingly passed a .04-mill tax for veterans’ services. The levy is a 6-year renewal providing continued funding of financial aid and services to veterans in Macomb County and to support the Macomb Veterans’ Services Department and Veterans’ Affairs Commission. The millage is expected to raise $980,000 in 2013.

Tuesday’s primary election featured dozens of federal, state, county and local partisan races and mostly uncontested judicial contests. But with local governments struggling with the continuing slide in property tax revenues, ballot proposals in a handful of communities were closely watched.

In some, officials warned that millage defeats would result in layoffs

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In Warren, voters passed a 4.9-mills property tax increase for five years for police and fire protection, by a nearly 2-to-1 ratio. A mill is equal to $1 in tax for each $1,000 of taxable value of property. Taxable value is approximately one-half of the true market value of a home.

“I’m elated,” Mayor James Fouts said late Tuesday. “Especially since this is a pocketbook issue and a lot of people are laid off or, more likely than not, have had to sacrifice.”

Fouts had warned for months that defeat of the significant tax hike would result in the layoff of up to 100 city employees, most of them first responders.

“It was a no-brainer,” the 40-year city resident said. “I want to be protected. I hope everybody else thought the same thing.

The millage is projected to produce $16 million in 2013.

The Warren police force has 198 sworn personnel, down from 232 a few years ago, Police Commissioner Jere Green said. The department currently has eight budgeted “officer” positions that are vacant. Green plans to fill those posts and has been prepared to hire two immediately, but waited for the outcome of the ballot proposal.

Warren firefighters and police officers started campaigning for the millage in July, going door to door urging residents to support the proposed tax hike.

“Our point was to educate the citizens,” Jim Hill, secretary of Warren firefighters’ union, said while handing out campaign literature to voters arriving at the Warren Consolidated Schools Administration Building. “All of our guys got behind this.”

The firefighters union spent upward of $8,000 to print and mail two series of campaign fliers and contributing to one produced by the Warren Police Officers Association, Hill said.

Mayor Fouts said he was “cautiously optimistic with a tough of pessimism” that voters would support the proposal, considering that residents passed millage increases for street repairs last year and for libraries in 2010.

“Sometimes three strikes and you’re out, but we got a home run,” the mayor said. “I appreciate the support of the people in Warren.”

In New Haven, residents narrowly rejected a 3-mills increase for five years for police services. The higher levy, which would have started next year and generated an estimated $235,000 in 2013, was nixed by 357 voters, with 305 residents voting yes. (Editor’s note: This story corrects a previous online version that incorrectly stated that voters passed the millage.)

In Harrison Township, a hotbed for anti-tax sentiment, residents overwhelmingly backed the renewal of a total of 6.68 mills for fire and ambulance service, and police protection, for one year. The measure passed, 78 percent to 22 percent.

Slightly over 5 mills of that levy will be earmarked for fire and EMS, with just over 1.62 mills going to police services. Township officials estimate the millages, taken together, are expected to produce $5.6 million.

Denise Rocco of Harrison Township said she voted no on the public safety question.

“I’m a business person. I own my own little business. If I have to make cuts, they have to make cuts. Everybody’s got to learn balance their books just like I do,” she said.

Dave Zepp favored the millage.

“I’m always in support for fire and police. I just feel it’s a must and we need to have it,” he said.

In Washington Township, residents agreed to renew a 1-mill levy for four years, starting in 2014. The township contracts with the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office for police services. Amid declining property values in one of the county’s most affluent communities, the levy will produce just over $1 million to be earmarked for police protection.

Washington Township voters and residents of neighboring Bruce Township overwhelmingly favored companion proposals for two jointly-funded government services. Voters in both communities in northwestern Macomb County passed a 0.75-mill renewal for parks and recreation, and 0.25 mills for senior citizen transportation. Approval was necessary by voters on both townships to maintain the popular programs.

Washington Supervisor Daniel O’Leary was not surprised by residents’ continued support of the millages.

“We’re pleased,” he said. “We’re providing good service and they know it.”

In Eastpointe, residents passed a 1-mill library millage renewal for five years, 70 percent to 30 percent. Voters also OK’d a proposal to allow the city manager to appoint the city’s finance director, and favored an amendment to the city charter to permit privatized trash pickup, recycling and public works service for at least three years, but not more than 10.

Charter changes won’t be on the way anytime soon in New Baltimore, after voters on Tuesday rejected a measure to elect a charter commission that will be tasked with proposing revisions. The charter was originally adopted in 1973.